Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Upper
Marlboro, MD…Sheriff
Melvin C. High and the heads of all of the county’s public safety agencies,
joined County Executive Rushern L. Baker at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt
MD, to celebrate the 38th Annual Public Safety Valor Awards. The
Valor Awards Luncheon is a program that recognizes members from each agency for
exceptional performance and bravery in service.

The
Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office had eight deputies awarded the Bronze
Medal of Valor for their brave actions in the line of duty in two separate
incidents.

Sergeant
Lisa Smith, Corporal Dale Dreibelbis, Corporal Kenyatta Porter, Corporal Nadia
Lockhart (Not pictured), Deputy First Class Adrian Curtis, and Private Terrence
Mordecai, were at a residence in Hyattsville MD, to serve a court ordered
Emergency Petition Service. The man’s mother stated that he had not been taking
his medication and had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. The deputies
went down into a dark basement where they were faced with a dangerous subject that
was holding two large kitchen knives. The man refused to comply with the
deputies’ verbal commands and began fighting them. The deputies were able to
subdue the combative man after a brief struggle and placed him in custody. The
man was transported to the hospital for the psychiatric evaluation that his
family had requested.

Lt.
Monica Jackson and Corporal Terena McCreary were attempting to serve a court
ordered eviction in Glen Dale MD. The deputies met the resident at the door and
when they showed him the court order, the man locked the door and refused to
let them in. The man stated “I have weapons in here! I’m not leaving this house
alive; I have weapons!” Shortly after
that the deputies heard what sounded like several gunshots. As they ran for cover,
they could see flames and smoke coming from the house. Deputies continued to
negotiate with the resident who finally agreed to come out of the house; he was
then taken into custody and transported to the hospital for an Emergency
Psychiatric Evaluation.

Thanks
to the heroic actions of these deputies who risked injury to themselves in
order to prevent these men from harming themselves or others we proudly
recognize our Deputies with the Bronze Medal of Valor.

For
more information contact the Communications and Public Affairs Division at
301-780-7354